General and Higher Education

     Education in the UAE has kept pace with scientific and technological development. Here are some data that give a good indication of the development of education in the state.

     Before 1992, the number of students was 301,000 and that of teachers was 18,179. There were 643 schools and 11,498 classrooms, and the ratio of teacher to student was 1 to16. The capacity of the classroom was 26 students. In the field of adult education and eradication of illiteracy, there were 23,000 learners. The number of university students was 7,507 whereas those on study courses abroad numbered 2500. There were 400 post-graduate students.

     In the face of this quantitative development, and in order to improve qualitative growth in the field of education, and to cope simultaneously with scientific and technological advances, the Ministry of Education set up an integrated draft policy document for education in the State which specified the functions and responsibilities of the Ministry. It also classified public and private educational institutions, and set the goals for general educational and specialized education.

     In order to give a clearer picture of the ongoing development in the field of education, we will refer to the statistics of the academic year 1998-99 of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah only. There were 94 schools, 40 for males and 28 for females and 16 coeducation kindergartens. The schools consisted of 1465 classrooms, 688 for male and 637 for female students. There were also 140 coeducation schools. The total number of pupils of both genders was 136,523. The number of male teachers, and administrators and technicians were 18,000 and 1206, respectively. The number of female teachers was 1708 whereas that of female administrators and technicians was 352. The number of school employees was 685. The number of private education classrooms in the Ras Al Khaimah Educational District was 27 classrooms, 15 for males and 12 for females. The capacity of these classes was 147 students, 98 males and 49 females. There was only one morning educational center at the Women's Development Society, consisting of 4 secondary classrooms for 40 pupils, taught by 112 female teachers and administrators.

     As for the education of women and the development that has been achieved by the UAE under the leadership of Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Dr. Maitha Salem Al Shamsi, Assistant-Director of the UAE University for Female Student Affairs, has submitted to the Fourth Women International Conference a study incorporating graphic statistics of the development in the field of women education and their contribution to the socio-economic development of the State. She demonstrated that the educational policy is based on equal opportunities for males and females, and that the number of females receiving education has been constantly increasing at the different levels of education, especially at the university level, where the number of female students increased from 50% of the total number of students in the academic year 1980-81 to 73.6% in 1990-91. She stressed the fact that women in the UAE enjoy the complete range of educational facilities, from kindergartens to university colleges.

     The study also confirms that women occupy high positions in the educational sector and teaching profession in the UAE. Women occupied 56% of the teaching jobs during the academic year 1994-1995. Women play a significant role in raising and educating the younger generations and, consequently, contribute positively to social development programs.

     The study also refers to the efforts exerted by the State in the field of eradicating illiteracy. The goal is achieving universal literacy after drawing a strategic plan to eradicate illiteracy by the year 2000. This is feasible in the light of the fact that illiteracy has dropped to 1.3% among males and to 2.1% among females in the age group 10-14.

     All the above clearly testify to the attention H.H. Sheikh Zayed pays to education. It would suffice to say here that when the Federation was founded in 1971, the total number of students was 33,000. This number is now in the region of one million, indicating the tremendous development in this field. This development is a result of the special care which the State has given to education on instruction from its leader, Sheikh Zayed, and which has been noted by people from near and far. Indeed, education in the UAE is a characteristic feature of the State. In the opening ceremony of the UAE University, His Highness said: "Universities have always been and will ever remain the beacons that light the path to civilization and pave the way to progress and modernity. We now have a wealth of educated citizens, and opportunities will be open to everyone who is prepared to work in order to strengthen the identity of the State and fortify its structure."

     It goes without saying that this great leader pays attention to education along with his quest for building a highly developed and modern state - a state in which the individual citizen finds due respect and to whom the hope of bearing the responsibility of building the State is attached: "It is time that we restore our past dignity and glory. This will not be realized by wealth alone; wealth must be combined with well-planned education and enlightened minds, to specify the right targets for using this wealth. Wealth is expendable and for this particular reason its greatest investment is in providing the nation with generations of educated and scholarly citizens."

     Sheikh Zayed has believed that - and this indeed indicates enlightenment and depth of vision - what an advanced nation has as an asset is its educated citizens. This is so because the measure of the degree of development of nations is in the level of education and the extent to which it has spread. Therefore, the march of education in the UAE is in constant progress, in order to cope with new advances and to meet the requirements of the twenty-first century.

     Today, reality reflects an amazing picture of educational development and growth. Statistics show that the number of regular students in the academic year 1998-1999 was 315,000 in 672 government schools, consisting of 12,000 classrooms. The number of teachers, administrators and technical staff was 27,620, comprising 23,570 male and female teachers. Of these there were 6,350 national female teachers and 650 national male teachers. There were 2,450 administrators of both genders and of these there were 1,500 national female and 500 national male administrators. As for technicians, there were 1,700 of which 850 are national female and 150 national male technicians. With reference to private schools, statistics for the academic year 1998-1999 refer to more than 200,000 regular pupils in about 400 schools.

     At this point we must draw attention to the policy document prepared by the Ministry of Education during the academic year 1998-1999, entitled "Education Vision 2020", which contains the strategic goals and objectives, plans and implementation programs for developing education in the State.

     As for Higher Education, the march began with the opening of the UAE University in Al Ain city in 1977. This was followed by the Higher Colleges of Technology, in 1988. Subsequently, a number of universities were founded, among which are Al Bayan University, Sharjah University, Ajman University of Science and Technology, College of Medical Science, Al Awfoq (Horizon) College, College of Telecommunications, Dubai/Sharjah American Universities, College of Engineering, Sharjah College and Zayed University. What follows are brief notes on some of these universities.

Zayed University
     The year 1998 witnessed the establishment of Zayed University, which was approved by the Council of Ministers on March 9, 1998. Classes began on September 5, 1998, with the admission of 400 female students in Abu Dhabi and 1100 female students at its Dubai campus. The University offers six specialized study programs in Arts and Science, Business Administration, Communication, Education, Information Technology and Family Science. It is expected to offer places to 1600 students in Abu Dhabi and 4400 students in Dubai during the next four years.

     Construction of the university campus in Abu Dhabi was completed in August 1998. The campus consists of three buildings, each one with three floors. There are 30 lecture rooms, each lecture room has a 20-student capacity. The work on the Dubai campus has already been completed. The building covers an area of 50,000 m2. It consists of 12 adjoining blocks, containing 136 classrooms, and accommodating 2400 students.

The UAE University
     Around 17,000 male and female students follow regular study courses at the university. 4,300 of these students were admitted in the new academic year 1998-1999, compared to 535 students at the inauguration of the university in November 1977.

     By March 1998, the University had seen more than 18,913 male and female students graduating, representing 17 different groups. They have taken up jobs in the different fields of public service. Among them were 126 doctors of both genders, representing 7 graduate groups of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, which was established in 1985. The new buildings of the faculty were opened in 1996. They were built by H.H. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, at a cost of 265 million dirhams. The budget of the UAE University was increased to 702 million dirhams in 1998, from 637.5 million dirhams in 1977, and 580 million in 1996.

     In order to enhance its role in community service, the University has formed a Council for Scientific Research. The amount of five million dirhams was allocated in 1998 to support the activities of this Council.

     The first laboratory in the State, for the production of palm trees through the use of the modern technique of tissue culture, was established in February 1989. The university has also introduced the Zayed International Program for Agricultural and Environmental Research, whose aim is to use agricultural techniques in the field of irrigation by saline water and the cultivation of desert areas. In 1990, new experimental farms were started under the name "Zayed International Experimental Farms;" more than 30 species of salinity-resistant plants were planted. The university expanded the use of the Internet within the framework of its plan to harness the latest world technological advances.

     The University faculty comprises more than one thousand lecturers, researchers and demonstrators. There are more than 105 national demonstrators. The university offers 79 specialist courses. In 1998, more than 142 new staff members were appointed in the University faculty.

Academic Co-operation:
     Since its establishment, the UAE University has been keen on forming strong links with well-established universities throughout the world. Agreements were ratified with American, French and Arab Universities. An example is the agreement made with the American Mid West Universities to assist and qualify demonstrators seeking admission to major American Universities to obtain Masters and Ph.D. degrees. Other agreements include one made with the American University of Beirut, and another with Toulouse University in France, through which summer training programs will be provided to the students of the faculties of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences, an agreement with Shizuoka University in Japan, for cooperation in Agricultural Research, and an agreement with Al Azhar University for Scientific and Cultural Exchange. Many agreements have also been entered into with the UNDP whose aim is human resource and administrative development. The UAE University also has strong ties with its counterparts in other GCC countries. During the year 1998, more than 137 male and female graduates were sent abroad on scholarships for further studies.

Higher Colleges of Technology
     The Higher Colleges of Technology are considered as the most important link in the chain of Higher Education in the country. Since their establishment in October 1988, these colleges have been actively contributing to the economic and industrial development process because their programs have been set to meet the real needs of society and its health, financial, industrial and information institutions. They have played a major role in providing qualified cadres for middle level technical and administrative functions and enhanced the country's ability to cope with global technological and technical progress.

     In the academic year 1998-1999, more than 7,000 male and female students joined the colleges. Among them there were 3443 first registrations. In 1998, the budget of the Higher Colleges of Technology was increased to AED. 360,270,000, compared with AED. 310,800,000 in 1997, an increase of AED. 49,470,000. On March 9, 1998 the Council of Ministers approved a draft Federal Law, concerning the reorganization of the group of the Higher Colleges of Technology, so that each college will have its own independent Faculty and Board of Trustees, the latter comprised of a number of experienced and competent members from various sectors in the State. The new building of the Higher Colleges of Technology in Dubai was erected on an area of 40,000 m2 at a cost of 90 million dirhams, with capacity for 2,145 students.

     In March 1998, the colleges celebrated their seventh student graduation, which consisted of 1433 male and female graduates. The number of graduates since the establishment of the colleges rose to 2256, consisting of 1283 female graduates and 973 male graduates, who obtained the Higher Diploma Certificate in 18 specialized programs taught in the fields of business studies, communications technology, engineering technology and health sciences.

     As of the academic year 1997-1998, the Colleges of Higher Technology introduced a bachelor's degree in business administration and new higher diploma programs in computer engineering technology, nursing, and pharmacology for female students, in addition to a diploma in general health inspection for male students.

     The Center of Excellence in Applied Research at the Higher Colleges of Technology concluded the first agreement of its kind, in May 1998, with the University of Harvard for the establishment of the first Center for Technical Training at the Technological Complex in Abu Dhabi. Very shortly, another Center will be established in Dubai in cooperation with the American University Motorola.

     The Excellence Center at the Abu Dhabi College for Men inaugurated the International Technological Complex, in 1995. It comprises centers and joint ventures with major world companies specialized in manufacturing advanced technological systems. The Center aims at linking the Higher Colleges of Technology with the Government Departments and industrial sectors in such a way that each party shall provide the other with training and consultancy services. The American Middle East Education and Training Services Establishment (AMIDEAST) joined the International Technological Complex of the Abu Dhabi Excellence Center, in October 1996, in order to carry out its activities through the complex.

     The Higher Colleges of Technology established their website on the Internet, in March 1996. Thus, all the necessary information about their establishment and development is available to the millions of subscribers throughout the world.